LP Accessory Port vs Gas Grill

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DaveRB55

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May 19, 2017
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45
Hello All.  On to the next issue...

I'm having function problems hooking up my gas grill to my accessory LP port on the my RV.

My grill uses 1lb gas containers so I purchased a 1/4 in dia, 12 ft hose, with a female quick disconnect and a 1"-20 male thread.  Hooked everything up and very low flame at max settings.  Saw that the grille controller had a regulator built in and combined with low pressure line from RV was not allowing enough gas flow.  I purchased  a controller that fit the grill without a regulator, fittings that would go from the male 1"20 to a quick disconnect to mate with the new controller. and put that together.  The flame was better but still poor.  Also checked with Winnebago to determine the output LP flow at the port.  They said 11 inches of water which should be enough for the grill.

The only other item I have found while working this out was input from a website that said one should use a 3/8 inch line minimum to ensure flow is not restricted.

Before I replace my 1/4 hose with a 3/8 in dia hose, I was wondering if anyone had anything to offer in way of advice.  Am I on right track?  Larger hose makes sense but didn't know if I was missing something else.

Thanks
Dave
 
Hi Dave. You said you purchased a "controller" that fits the grill... What's that? When trying to run a grill off your RV's propane tank, you have two basic options. Most people get a "T" fitting installed at the propane tank, in front of the tank's regulator. They're called "Extend-A-Stays" and a few other names.

Since the "T" fitting is installed in front of the tank's regulator, it provides high pressure propane - the same pressure those little disposable propane bottles have. One end of a standard propane hose gets attached to that "T" fitting, and the other end attaches to the grill - at the same place those little disposable propane bottles screw into.

The nice thing about that setup is, you don't have to modify your grill, so you can take it to your  neighbor's campsite and run it off a propane bottle, or run it off your RV tank's propane system.

You can also get a "T" fitting that installs after your RV tank's regulator, but then you'll have low pressure propane coming out of the hose. Low pressure propane won't allow the grill to work well unless the grill's internal regulator is also removed. That's probably what's causing the problem you're having now. If you go the low pressure route, and remove your grill's regulator, you may have trouble regulating its heat, and you'll no longer be able to use your grill with those disposable bottles.

Kev
 
Hello Kevin,

Thank you for responding.  When I checked with Winnebago, they told me that the accessory port feeds gas at the same rate as my other gas appliances i.e. my stove, so although I had viewed some comments about inserting a Tee on the high pressure side, this seemed an easier workable solution.

I purchased an inexpensive grill from walmart ($20 table top Expert grill).  ( First time trying to attach a jpg - Grill.jpg attached ).  The Control valve has a regulator built in.  I then purchased a Camco Valve (57274) (Control valve.JPG) that does not include a regulator.  This mated directly to the burner assembly in place of the original valve.  I then purchased connectors to mate up between the propane hose 1"20 thread male fitting and the control valve male quick disconnect.  I saw this in a you tube and it looked pretty straightforward. 

Since the same feed was going to my stove, I was thinking the only restriction left could be the lengthy and small dia hose.  Hope the pics go through to help the explanation. 
The post location for the video I watched is:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ef9SWPwYfY


Dave
 

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That Camco valve is designed for Olympian brand model 5100/5500 grills, so may not  supply gas correctly for your brand x grill.  The results you observe indicate it does not.  When an appliance has an internal regulator like that, there is no way to know what its output pressure may be and the design pressure of the grill burners.  Using a larger diameter hose may be no improvement - a 1/4" hose should have adequate volume for a small grill like that. Do you have (or maybe borrow) a tank & regulator that has a 3/8" hose so you can try it first?

The real solution is the one Kevin describes - put a tee in ahead of the RV regulator and run a high pressure LP line to the unmodified grill. That too is a  straight-forward mod.
 
Those grills that use the small green bottles have a regulator built into them to get the high pressure green  bottles to a lower pressure. If, as Winnebago has told you, that outlet is at the same pressure as the other appliances in the RV, then there is your problem, it is on the low pressure side of the system. You cannot have 2 regulators in the system and expect to have a properly functioning grill.

You have 2 options, connect that fitting to a point before the RV supply ahead of the regulator, or, remove/bypass the regulator in the portable unit. Kevin's and Gary's suggestion are the most logical ones, that is, reconnect the supply on the RV to before the RV's own regulator, on the high pressure side.... IMHO

On edit: (Heh heh, Gary and I were typing at the same time, hence almost identical responses)
 
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